A very interesting feature of the Steinhart Aquarium is a clear tunnel under a moat in the Rain Forest. Looking up, you see fish, trees, people and sky.

I had a wonderful chance to visit Adobe headquarters in San Jose recently and saw a presentation by the emminent Dr. Russell Preston Brown on a “kinder, gentler approach to HDR“. I tried his techniques on a series of shots from early December and like the results very much. Shot from Treasure Island with 1 stop exposure under and over blended in PSCS5 HDR Pro.

As seen from Treasure Island, the Bay Bridge is the Golden Gate Bridge’s lesser appreciated sister. In the right light however, it can be very pretty indeed.

Recently I passed this barn on a bike ride and went back a week later to photograph it. I tried doing it using HDR but that didn’t live up to my expectations. I had read recently on Mark Johnson’s excellent site of a PS plug-in called Pixel Blender. After a couple of tries, I ended up with this and find that it’s a good start. Down what road, I’m not sure. Still, it seems like good fun and I like the result.

Last Saturday I joined 56 other ardent photographers at 0-dark thirty in Sacramento to photograph in the California State Railroad Museum. It was one of over 1100 groups (32,000+ people) in Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk. Our leader had secured permission for us to be in the museum before the public and therefore able to use tripods. This lends itself to some interesting possibilities especially HDR. This shot is of the galley in a dining car. As I began to work on it, it moved (of its own accord) from being photorealistic to more like an illustration. Norman Rockwell’s paintings come to mind.

Another view in the Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve. It was hard to not be faced with multiple choices in all directions. It’s truly a magical, Harry Potter-esq forest. I’d not be surprised to see a door into a Hobbit home.

The Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve has a modest face on the highway but a fabulous surprise awaits inside. It’s mixed oak forest with fantastic shapes and curves and looks like something from a Harry Potter movie. This particular tree was an exception and very nicely shaped alongside a sag pond.

I must admit to being thrilled with the quality and capabilities of my new P&S. It’s far better than I had hoped and capable of some very nice photos. This is from today’s Farmer’s market and have very little Lr adjustment. It’s really the way it looks just out of the camera. What’s more, when I sync it, Lightroom sees it and imports all the photos. What kind of P&S camera is it? An iPhone 4.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 15-30mm, 4 minutes @ f/8

I got a chance to shoot a bit more on Mare Island last night. The Mare Island Nocturnes held an Alumni night and there were perhaps 30 photographers out and about in the night.

If you look in the lower right, you can see a tripod and a ghosted image of one of those photogs.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/125 @ f/5.6

I call it a weed only because I can’t identify it and it’s growing in a vacant lot. It’s very intricate and seems to have multiple Fibonocci patterns within.

Update: One of my vast array of visitors identified this wildflower as being in the Phacelia family. Exactly which one? I’ll need to look more closely on my way home tonight. Thanks Marianne.